1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fifth wheel conversion systems and more particularly pertains to a new mountable hitch for converting a normally fixed mounted material hauling device for use with a fifth wheel capable vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of fifth wheel conversion systems is known in the prior art. More specifically, fifth wheel conversion systems heretofore devised and utilized are known to permanently convert fifth wheel capable vehicles to carry material handling devices on the frame of the vehicle or convert a trailer towed by a vehicle to perform the same function of material handling devices. The mountable hitch allows the fifth wheel capable vehicles to temporarily engage material handling devices and still be used to tow trailers when the material handling devices are disengaged from the fifth wheel capable vehicles.
Illustrative of the fifth wheel conversion systems is U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,423 to Alexander which provides a pair of spaced apart brackets that extend across and are mounted to the frame of the vehicle. A pair of bars then extend across the brackets and support the device above the fifth wheel of the vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,872 to Larochelle provides a semi-trailer dump trailer that has an articulated frame assembly and a ram positioned between the fifth wheel and the dump trailer to allow the trailer to be raised high enough to completely dump the materials from the dump trailer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,690 to Smith provides a conversion apparatus that is used for mounting a truck bed onto a chassis of a tractor with a fifth wheel to allow the truck bed to be selectively mounted to the tractor. U.S. Pat. No. 4,671,527 to Wilson provides a fifth wheel with a linkage mechanism for raising and lowering the fifth wheel to accommodate trailers of differing heights. U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,482 to Larkin provides hitch adaptor that can receive either a king pin or a ball hitch to allow a trailer to be coupled to a vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 6,505,891 to Hickey provides an end dump trailer with a tension frame assembly coupled to the container and the vehicle to support the frameless container when the container is being tilted to be dumped.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,447,361, 6,557,944 and 6,419,292 each provide an apparatus for converting a truck bed to be used on a vehicle not originally designed to use that truck bed. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,354,165 and 4,958,978 each provide a dump trailer with a modified frame structure to allow the containers of the dump trailers to be tilted to allow the contents of the containers to be dispensed from the containers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,152,006 provides a towing apparatus that is coupled to a towing vehicle having a conventional fifth wheel and allows for the towing vehicle to tow a trailer or another vehicle as is needed. U.S. Pat. No. 3,907,333 provides a mounting means coupled to an earthmoving vehicle that allows attachments to be mounted to the earthmoving vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 4,671,526 provides a coupler device for use on frameless dump trailers that guides and positions the dump body on the fifth wheel plate of a vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 6,059,371 provides a hinge for being coupled between the bed of a truck and a frame of the truck to allow the bed of the truck to be pivoted with respect to the frame of the truck.
The prior art contains many examples of adaptor assemblies for allowing a trailer having a particular style of hitch to being coupled to a vehicle having a different type of receiver. Illustrative examples of the adaptor assemblies are U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,203,046, 4,261,594, 5,056,984, 5,823,735, 6,024,372, 5,310,204, 6,056,308, 6,042,135, 5,890,728, 5,722,678, 5,297,911, 4,614,354, 4,192,524, 4,049,146 and 3,881,619.
In these respects, the mountable hitch according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of converting a normally fixed mounted material hauling device for use with a fifth wheel capable vehicle.